


Welcome to the Dad Club

by KnittedWhit



Series: Shadowhunters: Parenthood Edition [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Baby Clace, Clace’s Baby, Dad!Jace, F/M, Mom!Clary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26153911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnittedWhit/pseuds/KnittedWhit
Summary: Jace is worried about leaving the baby. But are his fears a little over the top? He seeks Dad advice from Alec.
Relationships: Clary Fairchild & Jace Herondale, Clary Fairchild/Jace Herondale, Clary Fray & Jace Wayland, Clary Fray/Jace Wayland
Series: Shadowhunters: Parenthood Edition [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907902
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Welcome to the Dad Club

“Nope, not happening.”  
“Jace! We both have to go, we are the Co-Heads of the Institute!”

Jace crossed his arms. 

“Don’t care. One of us stays.”

Clary was silent. It was her very first assignment back since she had had Reesa; The Joint Council was having a very important annual meeting. It was imperative she and Jace BOTH represent the New York Institute in Idris, since they both dealt with different aspects of running the Institute. But that would mean leaving Reesa behind. Infants were not welcome in Idris when Downworlders were allowed within its borders, despite the work against the old prejudices. It meant that those with demon-blood could move freely among the streets. The risk was too high for someone to come in who was not welcome, so “absolutely not” had been the answer when they asked if they could bring their child. 

When Reesa was born, Jace had made a pact that at no point, barring another war that would end the world as they knew it, would both of them go on assignment at the same time. Reesa would not be left an orphan, Jace was adamant about this. Even though Reesa had close family, he still feared something horrible would happen to him and Clary that would leave her vulnerable to the things he had suffered as a child. 

Even now as Jace stood looking down at the sleeping 7 month old, his jaw worked with emotions. He would die if anything happened to her or Clary; and if he died and, the Angel forbid, Clary did too, and then something happened to Reesa because of that...he closed his eyes. 

“I can’t,” he whispered. “Clary, I just can’t.”

Clary slipped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back. He brought a hand up to cover hers. “It’s ok, Jace. I know. We will figure something out. Maybe we can alternate days. That might work.”

He turned. “So you don’t think I’m crazy?”  
She stood on her tippy toes and he leaned down to allow her to kiss him.  
“For caring about our child? For wanting her to always be safe and loved? For being an amazing father? Not at all. Now come on, she’s finally asleep.” They blew kisses to the sleeping child and said a few more whispered “I love you”s before they turned away. 

The couple left the nursery and went to their room next door through the connecting door. Clary let it shut with a gentle click. She went into the bathroom to start preparing for bed. 

Jace sighed and sat on the end of their bed. 

“How do Alec and Magnus do it? How does Alec go on patrol with me? How does he breathe away from them? I’m terrified that I’m going to come home one day and something will have happened. Or worse, I’ll be at home and you’ll be on patrol and...”, he fell silent. 

Clary walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. 

“Maybe you should ask him.”

“Alec doesn’t do feelings,” Jace snorted. 

“No, but he does love you. And he and Magnus have been at this longer than us. And he can help, I’m guessing. Talk to him, Jace. At some point, I’m AM going to have to go back on patrols and there will be trips we may both have to take where she can’t go. You can’t be worrying the whole time.”

“I can, actually. I’m an excellent worrier, thank you.”

Clary rolled her eyes. “You think you’re excellent at everything.”

A glint sparked in Jace’s eyes and that wicked grin that still made her stomach flop flashed on his face. He caught her around the waist and nimbly turned, tossing her onto their bed.  
“I AM excellent at everything. Should I remind you?”

—

Alec wasn’t on roster for patrol duty, but Jace has asked him to come in to the Institute anyway, for a talk. So kissing his sons and husband goodbye, Alec stepped through the portal into the Institute.

He greeted a few familiar faces as he made his way to the office. First, he wanted to see his niece. Priorities. Alec wouldn’t give up his boys for anything, but he didn’t hide the fact that his tiny niece had her own special place in his heart. Finding her wasn’t hard, as she was with Jace, as always. Jace sat at his desk, looking over reports on his electronic tablet and Reesa sat on his knee, gleefully banging a stele against the desk. She saw Alec and gave a squeal of delight. 

Jace looked up.  
“Hey man. Thanks for coming in!”  
“Not a problem,” Alec smiled as he swung the squirming baby up into his arms and then gave her a razberry on her cheek. “How is my little Warrior Princess???”  
Reesa’s golden eyes squinted up in delight as she laughed. She smiled as Alec sat in one of the office chairs, snuggling her into his lap. She proceeded to chew on the stele. 

“Jace, we probably shouldn’t let her do that,” Alec chided. “She might break it. Especially since she is your child and probably inherited your...talent... with breaking steles.”

“Yeah? Try taking it away from her. I dare you,” Jace retorted. 

Alec tried to tempt the baby with various toys, but she wouldn’t release her grip. When he tried to just take it, she gave out a shriek that could have rivaled the alert sirens. 

“I see your point,” Alec mused, giving up. He kissed the top of her red-gold curls and laid her on her blanket on the floor. 

Jace grinned down at the little girl. “Yeah, that one is actually deactivated so she can’t hurt herself. No adamas. I had to get a new one. Which I have to keep hidden so she won’t eat it too.” His grin faded as he looked at Alec, suddenly growing more serious. 

“Hey, I need to ask you some questions. About being a dad.”

Alec leaned back and tilted his head, studying Jace. 

“You know you can come to me about anything, brother.”

Jace came around the desk and sat in the chair across from Alec.

“How do you do it, Alec?”

Alec blinked. “What?”

“How do you...just do everything? How do you go on missions and how do you let Magnus go do his thing? How do you leave the boys with Izzy and Simon, or me and Clary, or even Mom, without worrying the whole time?”

Alec studied Jace’s face. His could feel the pain and worry this was causing Jace through their rune. His brother was truly struggling with this. 

Alec leaned forward and put his hand on Jace’s knee. 

“Look, it isn’t easy. It is NEVER easy. But this worry will consume you, Jace, if you let it. If you let it eat at you, you lose all the joy. If I didn’t let the boys go stay with Izzy or you, then they wouldn’t have those memories and neither would you. I want them to know Mom. I want them to love you all. I want Magnus to be happy, so I let, well not let”, he smiled softly. “But I, I don’t know the word, I just want him to do what he does because that’s who he is and that’s what makes him happy.  
Do I get scared? Oh yes. I always hug them, kiss them, and tell them I love them before I go out the door. I make sure I tell them at bed, at dinner, when they are playing. I pour love into every single second I can, so that they know, no matter what, they are loved. That’s all I can do, Jace. You still have to live. You have to want Clary and Reesa to be happy and you have to accept the fact that bad things may happen, but always carry the hope that they won’t.”

Jace was quiet for a moment, watching as Reesa played with a block, passing it from hand to hand, before dropping it for the stele again. 

“I’m just...so afraid...that something will happen and she will be left behind. And by some horrible twist of fate, she will end up lost, like me.”

“Jace!” Alec cried. “I can promise you, on our parabatai bond, that Reesa will always have her family. Me, Magnus, the boys, Izzy, Simon, Mom, Jocelyn, Luke. She will never be lost or forgotten or abused as long as there is breath in our bodies. And if you think Tessa, Jem, Kit, or even Emma would let anything happen to her...well. Jace. We have such a wide circle of family and friends now. She will be safe, always. For all the rest of her life, and her children’s lives, and their children’s lives, what with having an immortal warlock uncle and great-great-great grandmother .”

Jace swiped at a tear. “Thank you Alec. I just, I have to learn to control this fear in me.”

Alec stood and pulled Jace to his feet, embracing him. “You will, brother. You will.”

—

“Hey, did you talk to Alec?” Clary asked as she came into the office and closed the door behind her. 

Jace was back at his desk, holding Reesa as she sat on his lap holding the stele with one hand and patting the pages of the story book Jace was reading her with the other. "If You Give a Mouse A Cookie..." was a huge hit with both Jace and Reesa. 

Jace looked up. “Yeah, I did.”

“Did it help?”

Jace smiled. “Yes, it did. I just have to work through this fear. It’s mine, my own issue. I shouldn’t be pushing it onto Reesa or you. She won’t end up like me. She has many people who love her. She’ll be safe and happy, no matter what.”

Clary smiled back. “She will. And right now she needs lunch and a nap.” 

Jace kissed the baby and passed her to her mother. Reesa immediately grabbed one of Clary’s curls, her second favorite thing after the stele. Clary covered her chubby cheeks in kisses and laughed as the baby giggled and squirmed.

Jace’s heart felt like it was going to burst. He knew what Alec meant. If he lived in this fear, he would lose the happiness that moments like these brought him, of Clary and Reesa and him together. 

“You know,” he ventured before Clary could turn away. “I’ve been thinking. I think Alec and Magnus could care for Reesa if you still wanted to go to Idris together.”

Clary looked shocked. “Really? Because we can make arrangements to switch back and forth.”

“No,” Jace said determinedly. “I want to be there, and watch you in action. I want to hear what you have to say and watch you be amazing, as usual. Reesa...she will be ok. Magnus and Alec will care for her. And she needs to learn how to deal with Max and Rafe at some point.”

Clary stepped close to him and clasped his hand in her free one. Reesa smiled at him.

“Are you sure?” She asked quietly. 

“Yes.” He smiled. “I am.”


End file.
